Kurai Kyuusaisha
by The Order of the White Knights
Summary: Title means Dark Savior. Set in ancient times, the Harada Dynasty has fallen and the twin princesses flee. They find help with old family friends in the Niwa Clan. They set out with them to begin a rebellion against the man who killed their CANCELED!


**This story is going to take place in ancient times of Emperors, samurai, and legends. This story will have some characters from other shows (some will be changed a little bit), but this is a D. N. Angel story. Enjoy the first chapter!**

"Text"-talk

_Text-_thought or vision

**Prologue**

**Emperor's Palace**

The sun was high in the sky as it looked down upon a once peaceful city. The city itself had been built around nature not over it and thrived with joy and trade. The people who lived here were happy to live in the same city as their emperor. But that all changed after an assassination of their emperor.

Now the people fled in terror as their emperor's samurai, the last loyal defenders of the city, fought to protect them from the invading forces of the warlord who had come to take the throne. They had broken through the gates and flooded the streets. After overwhelming the samurai in the city, they besieged the palace. Soon they would break through the palace gates and take the Imperial Capital.

In the throne room were the Royal Samurai. They were the best warriors of the Empire and vowed to defend the royal family. Only two remained. The Twin Princesses of the Harada Dynasty. Riku and Risa Harada.

Risa was the younger of the two and had long brown hair. Her honey brown eyes shown with fear as the samurai barricaded the doors. She wore elegant white and red robes and hid behind her sister. Riku looked exactly like her sister except for her short light red hair. They were complete opposites, however, for Risa acted more feminine than her sister whereas Riku was more athletic and skilled in cooking. She too wore the robes, but had always voiced her disapproval of them.

"My ladies, you must flee now!" the young captain told them. He wore the red and white armor of the Imperial army. "We can't hold the doors for much longer. You should flee with the tenth squad and seek help."

"We won't leave you!" Risa said. "Too many have died already!"

"Risa, if we don't go then all of those men would have died for nothing. We have to go!" Riku said. She didn't like the idea either, but she knew it was true. With a look of defeat, Risa nodded and was taken aside to the hidden passage where the eight man team was waiting for them. Riku waited at the entrance and closed the door only partway. She motioned for them to go and that she would catch up.

The palace doors burst down and crushed some of the samurai there. Samurai in pure white armor charged into the room and overwhelmed the Imperial samurai waiting there. She watched as each one fell before the captain was the last one left. A samurai called out to the ones waiting outside and a man on a horse rode into the room. He had golden pieces of armor on him and dismounted. Carrying a musket on his back, he approached the captain.

"Where are the princesses?" he asked.

"Far away by now and safe."

The man removed his mask and handed it to one of his samurai. He had golden eyes and dark skin. "Where?"

"I will not tell you."

"Then you shall die." The man unslung his musket and pointed it at the captain's forehead. Riku looked away and heard the blast. She looked back to see the captain crumble to the floor. The warlord handed the rifle to another samurai and strode forward with his commanders behind him.

"Sir, without the princesses, can we seize control of the empire?"

"It will be more difficult, but we can still do so."

"What about the clans? Many were retainers of the emperor. Their loyalty lies with the princesses."

"The Saotome, Tendo, Niwa, Takeda, Sakina, and Kibata clans are the only ones who are steadfast loyal to them. The others will be too afraid to rebel against us. I have already dispatched messages for the rest of our armies and those of our newly acquired Imperial armies to attack these clans. I have received messages saying the sieges have begun and several are already fleeing. The empire will be ours by the end of tomorrow!"

A cheer went up from the samurai in the throne room. Riku closed the door and ran all the way down the hidden passage and caught up with the tenth squad and Risa. They changed into more relaxed clothing and saddled the horses in the hidden stable they walked to. Soon, they were riding away from their former home and flying as fast as they could. She told the others of what she heard.

"Which one's closest to us?" Risa asked.

The young lieutenant who led the tenth squad looked back at her as they rode through the forest. "The closest one is the Niwa clan. They were close friends to your father. They'll be sure to protect you both."

As they rode, Riku tried to remember if she knew any of the Niwas. She recalled that the Niwa family had one son that was around her age, but she couldn't remember anything but his name. _Daisuke_.

_**A Few Days Later**_

**Saotome Clan Fortress**

A large army fled from the fortress as the warlord's armies destroyed the fortress. Three horsemen stopped to look back at the fortress. One carried two riders. The red haired woman had the bluish black haired man leaning on her back as they rode. The other two riders were a black haired man wearing a yellow bandana and a brown haired woman with a large spatula looking weapon on her back.

"The fortress fell so easily."

"If it hadn't of been for that strange weapon, we wouldn't have lost our lord and his son wouldn't have fallen unconscious." The group looked to the unconscious man riding with the red haired woman.

"Brother…" she said. Then they continued riding off with the rest of their army.

**Tendo Clan Palace**

"Akane, come on!" a brown haired woman called out. The few samurai fleeing with them were ushering the Tendo family survivors off to the forest. A blue haired woman in light clothing ran to catch up with them.

"But father is…"

"We can't think about that right now. We have to retreat and fight another day." a young captain said. She nodded at him and continued to run with her sisters and the family doctor close behind.

**Takeda Clan Fortress**

The young retainer of the Takeda Clan rode off with the last of his cavalry force. He couldn't bring himself to look at the burning fortress behind him. He knew he had to find help and plan for his counterattack.

**Sakina Clan Fortress**

The Sakina Clan army had already vacated their fortress and begun the march to find others resisting the warlord.

**Kibata Clan Palace**

The palace was burned to the ground. Not one samurai or family member had survived the sudden attack. The villagers wept as the warlord's armies left them with nothing.

**Niwa Clan Fortress**

The princesses and their guard arrived at the fortress five days later. They kept to the woods as they approached and stopped when they saw the sight before them. The Niwa Fortress was under siege.

They watched as the warlord's armies tried to bring down the walls, but each time they would spring traps that took out several of their men. The Niwa archers fired a continuous rain into the enemy. Soon the archers stopped and a series of holes opened in the ground in front of the walls. A cavalry charged out of the holes and overwhelmed the enemy forces and sent them away. A cheer went up from the Niwa forces.

"Will you look at that? We've heard that every other clan loyal to the Harada family has been destroyed or sent scattering across the country. Yet here the Niwas are holding out." one of the guards said.

"Well, they are well known for their fortress having so many traps. Because of this, their fortress has never fallen to an enemy force." the lieutenant said.

"Well, shall we go then?" Riku said. They nodded and moved their horses out of the forest. As they did, a few of the enemy cavalry force turned and saw them. They came galloping back at them.

They saw this and began galloping as fast as they could for the Niwa Fortress.

"Archers, release!"

They looked up to see several arrows fly over them and hit the enemy cavalry. But two got through and closed the gap. Riku was at the rear of their group and they grabbed her horse. She screamed at them and tried to shake them off, but they were too strong. Then a blur appeared from nowhere and struck out at the two men. They fell out of their horses and the mystery figure turned to her and began running.

"Come on. We have to get inside!" the young man said before overtaking her horse and running ahead. She sped up and passed through the gate at the same time he did. Her sister and the guards were already dismounting their horses as she rode up next to them.

"Thank you for saving my sister." Risa said, bowing to the lightly armored samurai.

"It was no problem, princess."

"So you know we're princesses?" Riku asked.

The man turned to her and she could see red eyes through the gap between his helmet and mask. Before he spoke again, a voice from behind him spoke up.

"He should. You three were very good friends when you were little."

A gray haired man with a mustache and beard combo walked forward. He was flanked by a woman with blond hair and a man with black spiky hair. They were smiling at Riku and Risa.

The young man spoke up again. "This is my grandfather, Daiki Niwa, my father, Kosuke Niwa, and my mother, Emiko Niwa."

Then it hit Riku. "Then that means your Daisuke Niwa?"

The man removed his mask and took off his helmet. He had spiky red hair. She felt her heart speed up when she saw his face. Daisuke, after removing his gear, felt his heart do the same. After a moment of silence, Emiko spoke up. "Come on girls, you must be tired. Let's get you some clean clothes and then we'll have you join us for supper."

Emiko showed them to a large bedroom chamber. A maid came by later. She had grey hair, emerald eyes, and looked very young. She introduced herself as Towa. She helped them get new clothing. Risa chose a purple and black outfit that fit her body well and had some padding in vital spots and on her shoulder and knees. Riku choose a loose pair of pants that came down to her knees and a silken shirt. They were both white with red patterns on it. She completed the outfit with a pair of white boots.

They came down after a short nap and joined the Niwas for supper. A few more people had come in. They were the retainers of the Niwa Clan or their guards that came with them. Risa sat down near Emiko while Riku wound up right next to Daisuke.

There were other tables as well and regular samurai or civilians ate at them. The place was so lively and happy that Riku was instantly reminded of the palace dinners when their mom and dad had both been alive. She looked over to the grandfather, Daiki Niwa.

"Lord Niwa, what do you plan to do about the warlord that invaded the palace?"

The elder Niwa stopped eating and looked at her. "We're not sure what to do."

"What do you mean? He attacked you because you're loyal to the Harada family right? Then that means you should support the princesses' claim to the throne and go to war with him!" the lieutenant said.

The Niwa family and the retainers at the table looked as one to the young lieutenant. Under the gaze of so many glares, he instantly bowed his head and apologized for his outburst.

"We don't intend on supporting the warlord, but we see nothing to be gained from supporting the Harada family now." Emiko said. "No offense to our young princesses, but they are young and not ready to lead an empire."

"To go to war without any clear heir to take the throne, it would be unwise to move against the new emperor. You'd have to pick a retainer of yours to lead until you were ready. As for the time being, you have no retainers since they are either dead or have sworn oaths to the warlord." Kosuke said.

"What if we asked a distant relative of ours to take the lead for now?" Risa asked. When everyone looked at her with eyebrows raised, she continued. "The Tendo family are cousins of ours. They have their own clan that supports us as well."

A silence fell over their table. Finally, Daisuke spoke up. "Lady Harada, the Tendo Clan was attacked and sent away two days ago. So were the Saotome, Takeda, and Sakina Clans. The Kibata Clan was wiped out completely."

Riku and Risa looked down in sadness. All of those people were dead because they refused to support the warlord. But before they could say anything else, the dining hall's doors burst open and a samurai came running in. He went to Daiki and handed him a scroll. He opened it and read it before standing up to announce the news he had received.

"Samurai and people of the Niwa Clan, I have received news from our allies of the Saotome Clan! Ranma Saotome, now head of the Saotome Clan, is calling those who oppose the warlord's rule to join him. The survivors of the Tendo, Takeda, and Sakina clans are rallying to the Saotome rebel army. Other smaller clans are rallying to him as well."

A silence filled the entire dining hall. As one they all looked between Risa and Riku then back to Daiki. They waited to hear what their lord intended to do.

To Riku's surprise, Daisuke was the one who stood up and spoke. "Everyone, we've been fighting the warlord's armies for three days now. We've lost more than half of our forces and we know that the enemy will be reinforced tonight and continue their assault tomorrow. We won't be able to hold them back again. Therefore, I give the order for the Niwa Clan to abandon the fortress."

Riku, Risa, and their samurai stared at the young man in disbelief. _He's not the Clan Leader! He can't…_

But the entire hall stood up and began running off in different directions to prepare for their flight from the fortress. The twins and their guards looked to the Niwa family in confusion as Daisuke ran off.

"What?" Daiki asked.

"Why did everyone obey him without questioning you?" Risa asked.

"We are the figureheads of the Niwa Clan. I pose as the leader while Emiko and Kosuke deal with diplomacy. But the true leadership of the Niwa Clan is Daisuke. We passed leadership to him on his fourteenth birthday. That's two years ago."

Riku's eyes widened as she turned to look back at the young samurai. _He's a Clan Lord! But, he's just my age!_ Daisuke was calm and decisive. He ordered the Niwa samurai to prepare for a long march and to have the civilians evacuate to the southern provinces. She smiled at his willingness.

"Miss Riku, Miss Risa, will you help me gather some clothing for our journey?" Emiko asked. They nodded and left with her and Towa.

**The Next Morning**

The general looked around him as he marched through the Niwa Fortress gates. His samurai were cautiously moving through the courtyard and checking out the fortress. His reinforcements had arrived and they had almost moved all of their troops inside.

"Sir, the fortress and the village are deserted. There's nothing here."

"The cowards must've fled. So much for the famous traps of the Niwa. Not one has gone off since we entered here."

Next to the gate was a padded area the samurai had to walk over as they entered the fortress. A small counter was attached to it. As soon as the counter hit a certain number, a gong sound echoed throughout the fortress.

"What's that?"

"Are they attacking?"

"No, it must be a…"

A loud explosion tore threw the fortress and the ground broke apart. The fortress crumbled and was engulfed in flames. The walls fell down and the forest nearby was razed. From a safe distance away, the Niwa Clan, Harada twins, and tenth Imperial Squad watched as this happened. The Niwa Clan bowed towards the fallen fortress. Seeing this, Riku, Risa, and their guards also bowed.

"The Niwa Fortress of Daikoru, the first leader of the Niwa Clan, has fallen. For six centuries, it has withstood invasions and troubled times. Our ancestors had never really thought to build a fortress because of our…prowess as thieves. Despite this, the Harada Emperors and Empresses have always been friendly with us. They gave us this fortress and made us a true clan. Though we see it destroyed, we will return to build a new home when this war is over and peace reigns once more." Daiki said. "So says the Niwa Clan, the clan of thieves and ingenious plots."

Then they all stood back up straight and began to move out. Daisuke walked while he gave Riku his own horse. She had tried to tell him not to, but he insisted upon it. She later learned that her horse was one of the best the Niwas had to offer and was Daisuke's personal favorite. She looked over at Risa to see her on another horse and conversing with Lady Emiko. Then she returned to looking at Daisuke walking beside her. She couldn't help but stare at the young man.

"Miss Harada?"

Riku took a moment to answer. "Yes Niwa?"

"If you want to take back the throne, you'll need retainers right?"

"I suppose."

"Then allow me to be of service to you as a retainer."

Riku was speechless. Then she smiled and nodded to him. He returned the smile before looking back to the front. _I wish I could remember our childhood together. He seems so kind and caring._ Riku looked forward at the forest path they were entering.

During their four days of travel, Riku tried to get to know Daisuke better. He did the same and they discovered they had similar interests. Risa would spend most of her time with Towa or Emiko. On the fourth day, they were marching through the forest when Daisuke ordered a halt.

"What's wrong?" Riku asked. She looked around and noticed figures moving in the trees. The Niwa samurai began to form a wall of spears and swords along both sides of the line. The Imperial squad moved to protect Riku and Risa.

"For the Emperor!" An attack came from both sides as the Warlord's samurai charged onto the forest path. It wasn't a large army, more like a raiding party. They clashed with the Niwa samurai. Some got through and attacked the archers and musketeers. Some even began to attack Riku and Risa's guards. Riku fell off her horse and rolled away to prevent herself from being trampled. She sat up to see Daisuke punching and kicking aside the enemy samurai. Then she saw one sneaking up on him.

"Niwa!" she cried out, but he didn't hear her. She looked around and saw a bow next to her. She picked it up and grabbed an arrow nearby. Feeling familiar with the bow, she aimed and let loose just in time to catch the man in the chest and knock him aside. Daisuke heard the man grunt as he fell and turned to see Riku with the bow still held up. He nodded to her and turned to face more enemies running out. He gripped his katana, but several of the enemies fell in a blur of movement.

They looked around them to see the same thing happening. Soon, the enemy was defeated and new samurai stood in their place. They wore blue armor with red underlying clothing. They bore naginatas and katanas and wore their helmets and samurai masks. One strode forward and, somehow figuring out who was in command, walked straight to Daisuke.

"Are you the Niwa Clan?" a female voice asked.

"Yes, from your armor you must be from the Saotome Clan, correct?" Daisuke replied.

The woman removed her helmet to reveal red hair and deep blue eyes. Her hair was short and had a small pigtail in the back. She left her samurai mask on. "Yes, I'm Ranko Saotome, younger sister of Ranma Soatome."

"I'm Daisuke Niwa. With me are my grandfather, mother, father, and the two Harada princesses, the Tenth Royal Imperial squad, and what's left of the Niwa Clan."

She nodded to him and made a signal to her samurai. They nodded and pulled back a grove of trees to reveal a hidden pathway. She bowed and motioned with her hand towards the path. "Follow this path and you'll come to the rebel camp. My brother is waiting with his forces as well as those of the Takeda and Tendo Clans."

"Any news of the Sakina Clan?" Daiki asked.

"No, but several smaller clans and factions have also shown up. Word came in that they might be just behind you."

They returned the bow and began to move down the path. Daisuke walked over to Riku and helped her up. "Thank you for saving me back there. You're pretty good with a bow."

"Thanks and it was nothing." Riku replied. They stood up and Daisuke helped her back onto the horse. Then they began walking down the path to a new ally and a new beginning.


End file.
